The present study deals with the phenomenon of migration for educational purposes. Based on a qualitative approach, it specifically looks at the experience of Guinean graduates, educated in Canada, both those that have returned home and those that chose to stay in the host country. Using discursive materials gathered through individual interviews carried out in both Guinea and Canada, the sample includes 31 graduates.
The thrust of the study is threefold. It seeks, first, to identify the main motivations for Guinean graduates in their decision to “return home” or stay in the host country at the end of their studies. The second aim is to enquire about the future of the graduates, particularly their social, family and professional integration or re-integration back home or in Canada. Finally, the study examines the future prospects of the sampled graduates: their satisfaction or lack thereof with their current situations, their retrospective view about the experience of migration for studies, the prospects of eventual return back home for those who stayed in the host country, as well as the linkages they have maintained with their home country.
In the case of those who returned home, the study shows that “employment and promotion prospects” had played a central motivating role in their decision to return. Family considerations constituted the main motivation for some, while others cited their “resolve to serve the home country”, as the main incentive for their return. If family reintegration was easy for most of them, re-adaptation to certain social practices “they had forgotten” seems to have been less smooth. On the professional front, it appears that their Canadian training had a positive impact on their careers, as the reputation of Canadian certificates seems quite valuable in Guinea. Also, the professional networks established during their stay in Canada seem to be useful to many.
For those who remained in Canada, the possibility of finding a decent job seems to be the main incentive for staying. They often cite the opportunity that Canada offers for a “better future” for their kids as one reason for their decision to stay, which they consider as a worthy “sacrifice”. Another important motivation is the Canadian immigration policy, which encourages graduates to remain in the country. But while they often cite employment opportunities in Canada to justify their decision to stay, they do not, in most cases, get an appropriate employment in line with their qualifications. Thus, they generally end up taking up “petty jobs”. Many blame “discrimination” and their poor or non-existent “English” for this situation, given Canada’s bilingualism. Finally, however, the majority of them still do not exclude “returning home” one day, and they have not severed links with the home country. In fact, most of them strive to raise their kids in a way that would not detach them from Guinean cultures and customs.